Whether you’ll be devouring your morning-after carb load with a splitting headache or will be looking to fuel up on nourishing meals before heading in to Splendour in the Grass, we’ve scouted some of the best venues in the region for your dining pleasure. more

There is nothing quiet like bringing out a biscuit tin bursting with handmade treats to present to an unexpected visitor. Even if the treats were not made by your hand, the moment can still be aglow with handmade goodness. more

When he is not full-time teaching pastry skills to up-and-coming pastry chefs at South Bank Institute of TAFE, Stephen Kaptain is cooking up a storm in his shared kitchen in Bulimba and selling to local markets and boutique events. more

As the end of the year slinks closer, we relish the opportunity to celebrate all the coffee haunts, drinking dens and dining destinations that have helped craft a truly unique Brisbane food experience throughout the year. It’s been a busy 12 months of openings (and a few heartbreaking closings) in local dining, and we can’t help but be proud of our city’s food culture.
Congratulations to all the winners and runners up of the map magazine and The Weekend Edition EAT/drink Awards for 2013/14! Supported by our friends at Burleigh Brewing Co., this year’s awards feature the classics, the newcomers and the quirky, with each winner nominated and voted by you, our readers.
The full list of winners can be found here and will also be published in the next issue of map magazine, out on Friday December 6.
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The divine creations rising within The Red Brick Bakery in Newmarket have been restricted to wholesale buyers for too long. The bakery’s commercial arm, Crust & Co. Artisan Baking, has finally flung open the doors and welcomed the public in for a loaf of sourdough and a flaky pastry, or 12. more

Stepping past the white picket fence and into the refurbished recess of Chester Street Bakery and Bar, visitors are warmed by not only the flames of the woodfired oven but also a welcoming atmosphere. more

Until recently, you may have come across the saccharine offerings of local baking doyenne Jade Halloran at Pearl Cafe. Having graduated from chef to the specialty of pastry chef during more than four years at the Woolloongabba favourite, Jade has now taken her baking niche to the next level with Cake Kiosk – a market stall contained within the retro surrounds of a refurbished 1974 Franklin Arrow camper. more

If you’re partial to a themed party, then we expect you’ve already decked out your (blow-up) pool area with Australian flags, gassed-up the barbecue and have green and gold zinc at the ready for this Saturday’s celebrations. more

In the tiny commune of Dole in the Jura department of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France lies a family-run boulangerie and patisserie that goes by the name of Courderot. Arriving at Courderot at 5:00 am, travellers Alana and Paul huddled amongst the warm smells and flour-filled air with William Courderot to discover how a traditional French l’ancienne baguette is made. The boulangerie makes 600 of these baguettes each day. Here’s a peek into the highly rewarding process.
Image via Yanidel.
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Taking over the space where Greek pie shop Spanakopita dwelled in Newstead, hotelier and foodie Damian Griffiths has created Chester Street Kitchen – a neighbourhood cafe serving up rustic, home-style food. With an air of a gourmet bakery, Chester Street Kitchen offers breakfast provisions like Granola with Yoghurt and Compote and All Press coffee, with lunchtime taste-pleasers of Beef and Vintage Ale Pies, Spiced Pork Quiche and fresh salads like Chickpea, Pumpkin and Eggplant with Dukkah Dressing gracing the cabinet. more

Events at new gallery space The Box in West End have kicked off with fervour, with this long weekend’s addition a sourdough bread-making workshop. Slow Food enthusiasts and lovers of a hot crusty baguette straight from the oven will relish the handy hints divulged at the ‘How to make your own sourdough workshop ‘on Monday October 1. Run by The Art of Eating’sAngela O’Toole and The Box’s Sam Seljak, this foodie session includes a sourdough starter kit, tastings and recipes, shedding light on how to create warm, crisp loaves of your own at home. A second sourdough workshop is also being held on October 15. More details here.
Image via Bewitching Kitchen.
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Using the simple ingredients of flour and water and by stripping back the process of breadmaking to its most primitive form, Chad Robertson crafted a much sought-after Country Loaf at his San Francisco bakery, Tartine. This beautifully shot short documentary shows the processes and precision that goes into each lovingly moulded loaf, and hints at the years of training under French and American artisan bakers and the trial-and-error development behind Chad’s perfect loaf. In addition to running Tartine Bakery & Cafe and restaurant Bar Tartine in San Francisco with pastry chef wife Elisabeth Prueitt, Chad has written two cookbooks, including Tartine Bread, so you too can feel this famous dough beneath your fingertips.
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